July 10, 1875: Happy Birthday To Mary McLeod Bethune, “The First Lady Of The Struggle.”

At this day in 1875, a Black personality was born who was and still famously known as “The First Lady of the Struggle.” Mary McLeod Bethune was a famous African-American stateswoman, educator, humanitarian, philanthropist and a great civil rights activist. She was popularly known for her humanitarian services and for starting a private school exclusively for Black American students in Daytona Beach, Florida. Bethune has a lot of achievements on her shoulders to show her amazing followers. She served as the president of the National Association of Colored Women and was the founder of the National Council of Negro Women.

Mary Jane McLeod was born on July 10, 1875, in Maysville, South Carolina. She was born and brought up in poverty among 17 children that were born to former slaves in America. Bethune was one the only child in her family who went to a missionary school to get some proper education. She used to walk miles each day to reach her school for the love of education and to share her mint knowledge with her family. Bethune was a studious child, and that’s why got a scholarship to get further education from Scotia Seminary. After her graduation, she continued her education and attended the Dwight Moody’s Institute to learn Home and Foreign Missions while living in Chicago. Later she returned to South and starting working as a teacher.

Bethune’s career as a teacher went nearly for a decade where she married her fellow teacher and got a son Albert McLeod Bethune. But sadly the marriage ended a few years later. She always believed that good education might end racial discriminations and that’s the reason she founded the great Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute for Negro Girls in Daytona, Florida and that too in 1904. Time passed, and she remained busy in her Civil Right activities. Other than all this, she largely contributed to the American Society.

Mary Jane involved herself in government services, and 1935 became a special adviser to President Roosevelt by minority affairs. With so much of devotion and love for her community, one of the leading activists and educators, Mary Jones McLeod spent rest of her life for different social causes and eventually died on the 18th of May, 1955 in her hometown Daytona, Florida. She is still remembered for her amazing work and has been honored many times by the government.